Interview With Chief of Police Mr. William Evans

I had a rare chance of interviewing the Chief of Police for Hinds Community College Mr. William Evans in his office on Wednesday 19 November, 2014 at 5 p.m. Mr. Evans is a very busy person and the fact that he set aside one hour out of his busy schedule to answer my questions was a real privileged. In most cases, the officer closes work past 6 p.m. therefore conducting the interview between 5 to 6 p.m. cannot be said to have created any opportunity for getting inaccurate results due to fatigue or lack of concentration on his side as the time was still within his normal work schedule.

I learned many important lessons from the interview with Chief Evans. First, I learned that despite the huge pressure that comes with being Chief of Police, there are many factors that motivate people to fight for the rank. Chief Evans was motivated by a strong desire to help others and make a difference in society. I also learned that the position of Chief of Police has huge responsibilities. When I sought to know what Officer Evans responsibilities are, he said, I am responsible for day to day operation, budgets, scheduling, personnel, community relation, and information sharing (W. Evans, personal communication, November 19, 2014).

Police officers are always considered the least learned of all civil servants (Cole & Smith, 2010). However, I realized that being an officer requires rigorous training and an acceptable level of education. One must be a certified law officer with relevant training on firearms, driving, and selfdefense to become an officer. The bar is even higher for being a police chief. One needs a B.S. degree in business management, criminal justice, and five to seven years of supervisory experience with knowledge in budgets, investigations, and community relations (W. Evans, personal communication, November 19, 2014).

The police service is one of the most challenging work environments. It is extremely demanding and puts those in it at great risk almost all the time. Even though lower level officers have many challenges to cope with, those in the higher ranks have even more challenges to handle. Chief of Police for instance, has to deal with his assigned duties while at the same time attending to personal problems of his subordinates.

As such, Chief of Police must be endowed with characteristics such as the ability to prioritize, good time management, multitasking, and able leadership. According to William Evans, the accomplishment of taking a troubled student and turning them into a student with goals is rewarding enough for the risk he takes to serve as Chief of Police (W. Evans, personal communication, November 19, 2014). Just like any other job, being Chief of Police comes with many challenges.

However, against the expectations of many people that the greatest challenge of serving in the forces is the high level of risk involved, Evans insisted that his greatest challenge is having the right people at the right place for the same goals (W. Evans, personal communication, November 19, 2014).The interview made me learn that job experience is very important. Before becoming Chief of Police, Mr. Evans had served as a lower level police officer for 9 years at Clinton Police Department.

He also served at Madison County Sheriff Department for two years. Most importantly, I have learned that success in any job requires making sacrifices. However, one must know what to sacrifice. According to Evans, regardless of how much responsibility one has to shoulder in line with his or her job, time for self, and family and peace have to balance (W. Evans, personal communication, November 19, 2014).

No matter how good one maybe at his job, they can still encounter challenges that are almost if not insurmountable. Despite Evans vast experience and good educational qualification, he confessed to have faced a situation he did not know how to handle. He talked of a person who committed suicide in front of innocent children at a day care center.

I relied on a notepad to collect data during the interview. Even though I believe it was effective, using a tape recorder could have made the data collection process more effective. Using a tape recorder allows an interviewer to concentrate on the interviewee thereby making them free and composed which increases the chances of giving accurate responses (Polking, 1993). I was torn between taking notes and listening to Chief Evans in many instances.

As a result, I missed many points and could not remember them later on. If I were to conduct a full study on the same subject, I would carry my note pad and a tape recorder to ensure that I do not miss any point. In fact, Opdenakker (2006) supports the use of tape recorders during interviews by saying, Using a tape recorder has the advantage that the interview report is more accurate than writing out notes. Additionally, I would organize the interview a bit early to avoid chasing time.

References

Cole, G., & Smith, C. (2010). The American system of criminal justice (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Opdenakker, R. (2006). Advantages and Disadvantages of Four Interview Techniques in Qualitative Research.Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 7(4), 1-11.

Polking, K. (1993). Beginning writers answer book (5th ed.). Cincinnati, Ohio: Writers Digest Books.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Interview Question & Answer Form

Use this form to collect data during your interview with a criminal justice professional. Introductory and closing remarks, basic data elements, and five questions have already been prepared for you. You will need to create another five open-ended questions that address information that you would like to obtain from you selected professional. You will want to be sure to take detailed notes while conducting the interview, as you will use the notes to summarize the data collected. Have a separate notepad with you in case you need additional room to take notes during the interview.

Interviewer Name:

Interview Date and Time:

11/19/14

Interviewee Name: William B. Evans

Interviewee Position and Agency: Chief of Police FOR Hinds Community College

*If no, be sure the form is filled out prior to starting the interview.

Was Consent Form Filled Out?

Introductory Remarks: I appreciate your taking the time to participate in this interview. I am eager to learn more about your profession. I will be asking you a total of ten questions. So, if you are ready, we will get started.

Questions	Answers
What made you interested in becoming a ________________ (say interviewees position)?	I wanted to do what others wouldnt or be afraid to do. I wanted to help others and make a difference large or small with a sense of accomplishment.
What tasks are you responsible for in this job?	I am responsible for day to day operation, budgets, scheduling, personnel, community relation, and information sharing.
What academic qualifications and experience do you need to perform this job?	In order to be an officer ,you have to be a certified law officer and have attended MLEOTA for a ten week military style training with four phases that include academics, firearms, driving and self -defense. In order to be a police chief, you need a B.S. degree in business management, criminal justice, and five to seven years of supervisor experience. You also have to have knowledge in budgets, investigations, and community relations.
What characteristics does a person in this job need to have?	You have to be diverse, know how to multi task, be a time manger, able to prioritize, be driven, and a leader.
What do you like most about this job?	The accomplishment of taking a troubled student and turning them into a student with goals and a want to be in the work force.
What is the most challenging thing about this job?	Having the right people at the right place for the same goals.
Have you worked any other location besides Hinds?	Yes I worked 9 years at Clinton Police Department and 2 years at Madison County Sheriff Department.
How do you balance life with such long work hours?	I have to make sacrifices, time for self, and family and peace have to balance.
Has there ever been a time when you were in situation that you didnt quite know how to handle? Is there a lot of pressure being in your position?	There was an incident that I was a part of where domestic issues were at hand at a daycare center. One of the individuals committed suicide in front of all the innocent children. There is a lot of pressure on me because the people that work for you and the actions and decisions they make reflect the leadership of the department.
When you retire, what are some things that you want your officers to remember?	That I was loyal, fair, and would never ask them to do something that I wouldnt do.

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